What I'd Do For You
by ember0death
Summary: LeeSak...Lee makes some daring attempts, which most end him up in the hospital, to win Sakura after she is left heart broken. no idea how to whoo her, he must consult the other male inhabitants of Konoha
1. Ch1 : Declaration and A Promise

Chapter One : Declaration and A Promise

His eyes were shut peacefully as he leaned against and old blossoming oak tree near a river edge. Although his eyes were covered, he knew the sun was retreating behind the hills and mountains in the distance. He felt the dying rays warming his sweat-beaten skin. With a full day of training behind him, he took his time in relaxing in his most treasured place even with his mind restless.

To fight off sleep he sat up and leaned over top of the water. Breaking the calm, placid surface, he dove his cupped hands into the cool liquid. Watching as the random drops of water fell from his hands with the fading light glistening off of them; he splashed the clear water on he's clammy face. Shaking his head vigorously to be free from the lingering water he waited until the water below him settled. In the awaiting water he saw his reflection. He smiled to himself. How he had changed since the cursed day so many years ago. His heart and features darkened as he remembered that dreadful day his life seemed to stop. His one and only idol passed away in an unfortunate accident that involved one too many back flips and a broken neck. (**AN**: I dislike Gai-sensei very much so I didn't want him in my story! MUHAHAHA! The power of being an author!!!) A slight smile crept upon his lips as he remembered how he acted and looked back then; he couldn't help but laugh quietly to himself. He never wore spandex since that day but he kept his old green suit in his closet yet never, EVER to be wore again but just for a simple tribute to someone close to him. He looked down at his face that had grown quite handsome over the past few years. Bringing his hand to his face, he gingerly poked at his thinner brows. They were generally quite thick but they were slimmer and had a pointed end. His eyes had also grown narrower yet still held a youthful cheeriness to them. Sighing, he smiled to himself and ran his finger through his hair. He looked up into the pink sky. He had to agree that he missed his old hair. A harsh shudder ran down his spine as he remembered the nightmare of when two of his not-so-close friends that happened to be female, had given him his makeover a year ago. His hair had been cut shorted with no longer a simple cut that suited his style. After having sharp object flying at his head and mountains of gel thrown into his ebony hair, it was now spiked in every direction and looked, he had to admit, quiet interesting if not…hot.

With another splash of cold water on his toned skin, he leaned back onto his tree and closed his eyes. Before too long, his brow furrowed as he sensed a familiar chakra coming closer to his location. The cooling dusk air brushed his bare arms and lower legs causing him to open his weary eyes. He looked over to where he last noticed the presence and a hot blush ran up to his neck and face. The flower of his affection knelt by the water edge only a few yards from where he was lying against the tree. She hadn't seemed to notice him so he took his chance to quickly slip to the other side of the tree. He carefully peered around the of he rough bark. He looked at her tensely as she quietly gazed down into the water, watching the flower petal float along the surface of the clear liquid. He looked at her face that showed more sadness than he thought possible for her kind expressions to show. His heart began to ache as he saw a crystal tear fall from her eyes into the water beneath her.

His fists clutched at the nearest branch to keep from punching the old bark in front of him. Anger swelled inside him as he began to understand why she was weeping before him. '_It's because of __**him**__!' _He thought bitterly to himself. '_Even in death he still plagues her. _' His grip tightened and the poor branch finally gave way. Shocked, he came out of his bitter reminisce.

Not surprised, he heard the woman on the other side of the oak stir. Deciding it best to show himself now, he stepped out in to open and in view of the one he loved for so long. The woman still knelt by the water and was now looking up at him yet she seemed to have no recognition of his face in to her eyes. As their eyes met he had no thought of what his own eyes portrayed to her, but her seemed to cry out for an end to loneliness.

As they continued to stare at each other, a soft whisper escaped to delicate lips. "Lee." He was unsure if he had heard her say his name or not, but it sounded more of a statement than a question.

He took another step towards her and asked curiously, "Sakura?" Lee's face was worried and saddened. As if she was another person a second ago, Sakura withdrew her emotions behind her mask that she seemed to show to world.

"Oh! Gashi Lee-kun!" she said in a cheerful voice. To anyone who didn't know Sakura, they would have thought her voice was cheerful and full of life. But Lee was no fool. Her voice only told of sadness and an endless hollow void.

Following along, Lee put on a false smile and scratched the back on his head saying, "Gashi Sakura-chan! I just finished my training for the day and was about to go for a quick swim before I head home!" he stopped smiling as Sakura stood up. His heart skipped a beat as he saw a subtle smile creep on her beautiful features.

She looked around and saw no swimming clothes. "Swim?" she stuttered. "O-oh. Ok, I-I'm sorry to interrupt. I'll leave." she turned to leave when Lee reached out a put his warm hand on her slender shoulder.

"No, please don't go." He said quietly. His voice reached her ear and caused a slight shiver down her spine. "I haven't seen you for nearly two months now." She turned to face him. When she said nothing he continued. "Will you sit with me for a bit?" she gazed turned quizzical. "There's something I want to talk to you about." _'She looks so fragile.' _He thought to himself. He had been thinking about her for sometime now. Sasuke had such a hold on her. She was the one most effected by his suicide. In Konoha he was viewed as both a traitor and a hero. After being taken by Orochimaru, he killed himself and his captor in the process.

Lee started to shift under the awkward silence that seemed to have fallen. With a subtle nod from her, he took her by the hand and led her back to the riverside. He helped Sakura sit back down on the cool emerald grass. He soon took his seat next to her, the cold water splashing near their bare feet. She quietly pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them, resting her chin on her knees, staring off into the setting sun over the waters shimmering surface. He smiled to himself at the sight of her face in the falling light. Her face seemed to need no help from the sun for her to glow, she just needed some encouragement. _'She really has matured into a beautiful young woman.'_ He thought truthfully.

Her gaze broke away from the vision in front of them to Lee himself. As their eyes met again, she quickly looked away, hiding behind some of her hair that seemed to escape from behind her ear. For but an instant, Lee could have sworn that he saw in her eyes what was behind her mask, for the second time that day.

A comfortable silence fell between them as the sun neared its hold on the land. The petals from the old oak tree continued to fall into the river, creating ripples that seemed to intensify the reflection of the dying suns rays. Lee watched the sun, but his true gaze was on Sakura who he watched out of the corner of his eye. She seemed peaceful now, maybe even relaxed. His looked away as his brow furrowed. _'why does he still have to plague her heart and mind_ _even when his presence is long gone?' _

He looked back at her, her pink locks still kept at shoulder length after all these years. Her eyes where closed now in a blissful rest. Lee didn't dream of waking her so he turned his gaze elsewhere. Staring back at the dispersing sun, all he could hear was the soft, rhythmic breathing from the woman next to him, and the occasional splash of water at his feet. He smiled, yet this time it didn't seem that sad. Sakura shifted in her sleep, she looked almost peaceful, almost. There seemed to be a small imperfection on her blissful expression. Unable to place his finger on it, he looked now at the darkening sky, the sun finally dispersing behind the horizon.

Lee couldn't differentiate one minute from the next. His only track of time was the darkening of the sky above. When it seemed he was going to loose consciousness along with Sakura, something caught his eye. He dragged a dreary gaze to the water near his bare feet. He watched as it floated among the petals from the oak tree above their heads. It seemed to out of place. So lost. It was a single perfect sakura blossom. Smiling, Lee leaned over and lifted it out of the water ever so carefully. He held the delicate flower near his face, waiting for the water to drain from his hands. He looked closely at each delicate detail of each petal in turn. _'Its so small and fragile.' _He thought. Lee looked over at his sleeping beauty next to him. Her eyes shifted under her eyelids and she would squirm every so often.

Lee couldn't help but smile as he watched the woman he loved dream. The wind blew through the night air, stirring the flower in his palm bringing his attention back it. An idea crept into his mind as he watched the wind play with the flower. With a playful smile, the leaned close to Sakura, and carefully placed the flower behind her ear. As he started to pull his hand back, his fingers brushed her cheek.

This simple action caused her to stir. Lee quickly withdrew his hands back to rest on his knees as Sakura's eyes fluttered open. She sat upright, stretching her sore limbs and letting out a long awaited yawn. With eyes half open and an uncompleted consciousness, she looked at her surrounding

When her eyes came to rest upon Lee who smiled down at her, her eyes shot open. "Gomen! Gomen! Lee-kun!" she said quickly blushing. It was odd how everything about her seemed to be some sort of red or pink. Lee chuckled to himself at her sudden act and similarity in color. She straightened her body and turned to face Lee. Lee couldn't help but notice how the moonlight made her bodily assets stand out and seem more provocative. Quickly, Lee caught himself before his thoughts could go any farther. Blushing furiously Lee looked away, thankful for the darkness.

"Gomen." Sakura said again, noticing his lack of gaze. "You wanted to talk to me and I fell asleep." She looked up to where the sun had been a few hours ago. Sadly she added, "judging by the amount of light, or lack there of, you let me sleep for sometime. " she looked back up at him questionably. "Why?"

Lee smiled and looked down. He didn't know 'why' himself be can up with a conclusion none the less. His gaze met with hers again and he replied honestly, "You looked happy for once." As soon as he said it, he regretted it. He saw her flinch at his words and look away. Lee mentally kicked himself for saying the last part and waited for the obvious question to come next.

After a moment or so of silence, Sakura said with her gaze still averted, "what do you mean… 'for once'?"

Lee already knew it was out in the open. This was, after all, the reason why he wanted to talk to her. Sighing, he lied down on the cool grass with his hands behind his head. He didn't and couldn't stand to see Sakura's face at that time. He already knew what her expression was like. So instead, like a coward, he focused his eyes on the starry sky above them. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see her silhouette sitting next to him, looking up at the same sky. ever since the Uchiha's death, she had never been the same. She locked herself in her house, only coming out for food and the like. Whenever someone would try to approach her, her would ignore them with a solemn expression on her face. Lee didn't want to see her like that any more. He cared too much for her to see her like that every waking moment for over three years.

'_It is now or never to get her to open up.' _Lee built up all his courage, and drew his gaze to hers. His long silence brought her eyes to meet with his. They knew they were looking at each other despite the darkness. He held it as long as he could. Unable to take it he looked away and closed his eyes. "You are suffering, Sakura." He said bluntly. Without looking back at her, he knew she was shocked by his forwardness. Closing his eyes tighter, he continued. "It's not healthy Sakura. You're heart was broken beyond repair. And I know it hurts." He took a deep breath of the night air, cooling his lungs.

"You're hurting people who care for you by shutting yourself in. We all want to help you. We would never leave you like he did. I-we want to protect you from everything that would want to hurt you. I cant -" He stopped talking when he felt something touch his side. He slowly opened his eyes and drank I what he saw. Sakura was lying herself down next to him, cuddling up next to him. She rested her small head on his toned chest. Taking his hand out from under his hand, he wrapped it around her petit body. She breathed slow and steady but would waver now and then. His heart held a joyous pity for her. He looked closer at her as he felt a wetness on his chest. The moonlight showed him more of her crystal tears staining his shirt and they rolled off her warm face. Tentatively, he reached over with his free hand and wiped away every tear on her face.

He could feel her loosing consciousness again so he said quickly and quietly, "I don't want you to forget him, and I know you won't heal easily from him, but if you will, please let me try Sakura, I will protect you. And again, I will wipe every tear away." After speaking the truth that he held in for so long, he felt a blissful loss of consciousness overtake them both.

**Author Note:**

This is my first Naruto fanfic so be nice. I had many different versions of the beginning chapter and this was the best. It will be humorous, just the first chapter sets up everything and tell some background. If you can't tell, this takes place after the time skip. Sasuke killed himself and Orochimaru in the process so no villains!! Hope you liked it. Please read and review!!!

**PS**

Before when I described Lee it was based on a picture. Here's a web address to it.

larz776-narutocomedy(dot)buzznet(dot)com/user/photos/?id4320586

just replace the (dot) with an actual dot and it should work, if it worked or not, please let me know so I can fix it.

I think he's on the first page. Just shift through it and you'll find it. I know he looks funny, but he's hotter than in the anime/manga and you know it. Please let me know what u think of my portrayal of him. THANKS!!!


	2. Ch2 : Never to be Mentioned Again

Author Note:

Sorry it took so long for the second chapter to come out….as you can see it's quite long. Hope you like it. I hope some of you checked out the web site I mentioned in the last chapter. If not, please look at it and tell me what you think of my inspiration of the NEW Rock Lee!!! He is so hott! Anyway; just a heads up, it'll probably be a while for the next chapter. Maybe a month or more, so enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think……ENJOY!!!

Chapter Two: Suppressed Memories Involving a Fox 

A cool wind drifted over her sleeping face, stirring her from her slumber. Sakura tentatively opened her weary eyes. Once the shield covering her vision was gone she was nearly blinded by the sun she had watched so intensively the other day with - "Lee!" she sat up startled and quickly looked around her. She voice fell on no ears as she realized she was alone by the river.

Slightly disappointed, she had a quick stretch and sat up, looking again at her surroundings. The river had retreated back a few feet from where she remembered it to be, but it fell in the shadow of the oak tree next to her so the sun didn't reflect in the waters placid surface. A long awaited yawn escaped her lips as she ran her fingers through her hair. Her eyes widened and her hand stopped when her fingertips touched something small and soft that was placed behind her ear. Slowly, she pulled it out, careful not to disturb what ever it was. A small gasp ran from her mouth as a beautiful sakura blossom was sitting in her open hand.

She felt a warmth grow in her heart that she thought would be cold forever. "Lee." She said quietly. A smile grew on her face as she placed the delicate flower back in her hair.

Slowly, she stood on her feet. Still weak and a little dizzy from the hard sleep, she quickly grabbed hold of a near branch to sturdy herself before she fell back down to the drew-covered grass. As her head stopped spinning, Sakura gradually walked over the riverside. Kneeling down, she cupped her hands and splashed the cool water on her face. A shiver ran through her as she felt the icy droplets role down her neck and chest.

As the water began to dry on her skin, she lied down on the grass oblivious to the morning dew seeping through her shirt and cooling her skin. With hands resting on her stomach, she watched as morning birds few from branch to branch above her. Although her eyes were watching the small creatures, her mind reminisced of the words spoken the previous night.

_**Sakura laid her self next to Lee as he spoke of everything she wanted no one to know or care about. His strong arm wrapped around her as her consciousness started to drift. But just when she thought she was lost, his words came into her mind and dreams, "I don't want you to forget him," he whispered quietly. "And I know you won't heal easily from him," she could feel his warm breath on her skin and the honesty in this words. "But if you will, please let me try Sakura, I will protect you. And again, I will wipe every tear away."**_

Sakura didn't know if it was all a dream or if it really had happened. Whether it was real or not, it had given her the first peaceful night's sleep she had had in years. Reaching up to her head, she touched the flower in her hair lovingly. _'Somehow'_ she thought, _'I could see him saying that.'_ Closing her eyes, she smiled to herself as she let the hours pass by. _'I will give your chance Lee. Maybe you can heal me.'_

X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X 

Beaded sweat covered Lee's forehead as he sat on a rough leather stood in the Ichiraku Ramen stand. Eyes focused and forehead creased deep in thought. He heard other villager come in and out and their common conversation but Lee paid them no mind. His mind ran what seemed like a thousand times per minute. The heat from the many stoves behind the counter grew harder to bear; however, it was not the cause for his distress and discontent.

He had opened up to her last night; told her what he had always wanted to tell her ever since he had met her. He should have been ecstatic, but he wasn't. Instead, he was sitting in a ramen stand, melting to death and he didn't seem to care. Sighing, he rested his confused head down on the counter in front of him. His expression changed to that of a lost child without his mother.

The owner of the ramen stand, Teuchi, glanced up from the cup he was drying to notice one of his customers in said mood. He made a gruff sound of annoyance as he walked over to his disgruntled guest. "Gashi, young master. What ails you?" Teuchi greeted in as cheerful voice as he could manage. Seeing such a dismayed youth troubled the owner enough to think what could have displeased him.

At the sound of a welcoming voice, Lee lifted his head to see the origin of the sound. Being greeted by the semi-cheerful face of Teuchi- itachou, Lee quickly sat up right replying, "Arigato Teuchi-sama!" putting on as wide smile as he could muster, "I am just a little preoccupied today. Nothing a bowl of your world famous ramen couldn't fix!" Grunting, Teuchi- itachou turned and continued his kitchen duties.

As he watched Teuchi leave, Lee rested his head back down on the counter. Pulling on one of his gelled hair spikes, he ran over last night's events over and over in his mind.

"_**You are suffering, Sakura." He said bluntly. "It's not healthy Sakura. You're heart was broken beyond repair. And I know it hurts." He took a deep breath of the night air, cooling his lungs. "You're hurting people who care for you by shutting yourself in. We all want to help you. We would never leave you like he did. I-we want to protect you from everything that would want to hurt you. I can't -" He stopped talking when he felt something touch his side. He slowly opened his eyes and drank I what he saw. Sakura was lying herself down next to him, cuddling up next to him. She rested her small head on his toned chest. Taking his hand out from under his head, he wrapped it around her petit body. She breathed slow and steady but would waver now and then. His heart held a joyous pity for her. He looked closer at her as he felt a wetness on his chest. The moonlight showed him more of her crystal tears staining his shirt and they rolled off her warm face. Tentatively, he reached over with his free hand and wiped away every tear on her face. **_

Lee gripped the counter top as his anger began to swell again. _'I made her cry!'_ he thought bitterly. His hand began to relax as he calmed his mind as best he could. _'At least I got her to open up to someone…just happened to be me at the time.'_ He straightened his posture and inhaled deeply. His mouth began to water as he noticed that a steaming bowl on hot ramen was placed in front of him.

Smiling broadly, he grabbed a pair of chopsticks, split them, and dug in. No matter how bad of mood he was in, Ichiraku ramen always made him relax_. 'Now I understand why Naruto like this place so much.'_ The delicious contents slurped in his mouth and he began to tingle as he felt the warm liquid role down his throat. All too soon, the bowl was empty.

Taking in another deep breath, he leaned back, being careful not to fall off the stool. He closed his eyes and resumed his intense thought process. _'I made a promise to her and myself._' He thought attentively. A small blush crept upon his cheeks_. 'I've loved her since the first day I saw her. I promised to make her happy.'_ He opened his eyes and looked down at his empty ramen bowl. His eyes began to look again like the lost child without his mother. "I have no clue how I'm going to impress her. How can I possible compete with **him**?" he said aloud.

"Whatsa matter, Spike? Whos eye ya tryin to catch?" Smiling, Lee spun around, knowing who was behind him, and flashed a blinding smile.

"Naruto-kun! Big surprise to find you here!" Lee replied half-heartedly.

Naruto stumbled back a step or two laughing and covering his eyes. "I see you haven't quite gotten out of the habit of blindin people when you talk to 'em." He said jokingly. Lee and Naruto's laugher filled the noodle stand, causing a few irritated glances at their direction for disturbing the comforting silence of the room.

Naruto took a seat next to Lee and placed his order to the old man. As he spoke to Teuchi-sama, Lee looked at Naruto up and down. _'He really has changed.' _Lee thought to himself. _'He was gone for almost three years.'_ Naruto sat next to Lee in his favorite orange baggy pants with a black, sleeveless turtleneck sweater. He was about a head taller than Lee was now, slender yet quite built. His blonde spiky hair was the same as before but now he let his bangs fall underneath his black headband. _'He really has changed.'_ Lee thought. Naruto reached out and grasped two bowls of hot ramen, diving into them with no regard to the temperature. If it wasn't for Lee's quick reflexes, a noodle would have hit him square in the head. Wiping a puddle of ramen off his leg he smiled thinking, _'But in some ways he hasn't changed at all.' _

Lee waited patiently for Naruto to finish his meal having eaten already himself. He watched in disgusted amusement at how his friend ate his most delectable food. Behind the counter Teuchi-sama smiled happily at his how his favorable customer enjoyed his usual order. Lee simply rolled his eyes and continued waiting.

A sudden deep belch echoed through the stand, and even possibly down the busy street, and the source was none other than the blissfully content fox boy next to him; declaring the completion of his joyous feasting. Lee chuckled slightly at his friends' act while Naruto himself grinned mischievously. Letting out a well disserved exhale and a pat on the full stomach, he looked over at Lee seriously, which unnerved him.

"So whats all yer talk about 'catchin someone's eye'? Hmmm?" Naruto raise one mischievous eyebrow at his companion.

Lee began to twitch slightly under his unwavering stare. Shaking it off, he rubbed the bridge of his nose with his toned fingertips. "It's Sakura." He replied bluntly. "I finally told her how I felt." He looked up to see Naruto reaction. Lee half expected him to be furious and on the bridge of killing him for wanting anything to do with his ex-teammate and still close friend. But instead he only showed an understanding and mild agreement which encouraged Lee to go on.

So he began to explain their previous night's engagement and conversion, leaving out the fact that they fell asleep on the grass together. Naruto never interrupted or interjected, he just simply nodded his head, listening intensively.

When the story was complete, Lee sat quietly, waiting for Naruto to respond. Naruto still sat in silence, pondering for a moment on Lee's words. With one vigorous nod, he looked up and made eye contact with his love-struck friend. A delighted smile grew across his face, easing Lee back into comfort. "That's great to hear Lee!" he exclaimed. After hearing his words, Lee mentally breathed a sigh of relief.

He smiled back at him. "Arigato, Naruto-kun. You had me worried for a second." His smile began to fade as he remembered his pervious predicament.

Naruto, noticing the change of mood, looked closer to his friend. "Whats wrong? What happened?" he asked seriously, sitting up straight.

Lee averted his gaze as Naruto incensed his own. Rubbing the back of his neck nervously, he replied, "I've… I've never really… actually… beeninarelationship-before." A mild blush grew on Lee's cheeks as he thought about what he had just confessed. Naruto on the other hand stared blankly at him.

"Come again?" he said perking his ears up.

Lee's reddened face increased. "I've never actually been in a relationship before." He murmured. Lee was near tears when Naruto burst into hysterical fits of laughter. Angry mumbling was heard behind Naruto's uncontrolled vocal amusement from the irritated and annoyed customers of Ichiraku Ramen stand.

Lee shrank back into the corner, trying to hide from the death glances from the older men that inhabited the food bar. Naruto on the other hand, remained oblivious to the fact his loud antics disturbed so many. As his voice began to die down, and his laughs faded from an ear-piercing shout, to a mere snicker and he wiped a few tears off his face.

Shaking his head slightly he looked back at the embarrassed Lee. Noticing the lack of hysterics coming from his friend and humorless expression on his face, every sound that came out of Naruto's mouth stopped and his jaw partially dropped. "You- You're serious!" he stammered.

Lee looked down at the floor, nodding slightly. Naruto's eyes widened, "Oh-oh! Gome man! I had no idea." Naruto apologized quickly. After a few minutes of awkward silence, he continued. "So…you never……"

"Nope." Lee said bluntly and bitterly, glaring at the sauce jar in front of him.

A few more minutes of silence passed with the other customer quietly thanking the gods for some peace and quiet.

Naruto, unable to take the silence any longer threw his arm around Lee, waking him from his angsty daydreaming. Lee's exasperated expression lightened as he saw the widening grin that was plastered on the foxy face next to him. Suspicions grew in his mind as Naruto's grin became more devilish and he began to lean away from him. "What?" he asked leeringly.

"I know just the place that can cheer you up!" without a word of agreement from Lee, Naruto grabbed his arm and dragged him out of the Ichiraku Ramen stand.

X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X 

Sakura was casually stretched out across her cotton bed spread; lazily she opened her eyes, staring blankly at a small insect on the ceiling. _'If that bug doesn't kill me,' _she thought bitterly, _'then my boredom will.' _Sweat began to bead off her forehead from the heat that seemed to swell with every passing minute. The glare of the sun pierced through the thin fabric covering her windows, causing her to drape her clammy arm across her damp face.

On any normal day, she would have gotten out of her pastel room and ventured outside or spend some social time with her friends that she hadn't seen in months. But today was no normal day. Her mind was in turmoil, running over and over something that she had always known but never really noticed. But somehow she felt like she was just watching a movie inside her mind. It didn't ever happen to her or apply to her in any way.

The sun began to creep under her arm that protected her from the light. Sighing, she lethargically rolled over onto her stomach to gradually escape its wakeful light. She felt a nap attacking her drifting mind. As her consciousness began to be absent from her mind, with her mind replayed the movie in her eyes.

_**She was looking up at him as her tears came down her face. He was holding her in his arms as they slept near a riverside. She couldn't see his expression because of the lack of light, but she knew and could imagine it in her mind. She could feel him tenderly wipe the salty water from her cheeks with his rough hands; but they felt as soft and inviting as the smoothest of silks. **_

Sakura snapped her self out of it before she got too in-depth in her recurring fantasy. _'Or was it real?' _shaking her head, she bitterly swore_. 'Knock it off!' _

No matter how hard she tried, her mind kept returning to that place in time. She groaned miserably, "Lee…just what are you to me?"

When no answer appeared, she huffed and crawled out of bed, clawing at the fabric as she went. After a vigorous and painful brushing of the hair, she tied it up in a rough ponytail. She looked herself over in the mirror. "I look pretty acceptable for someone who hasn't been social in months on end." She decided as she turned and walked towards the door.

"Besides," she said to herself, "the girls won't mind at all." With that, she grabbed her keys and walked out of her apartment, leaving a long awaited silence that the room had been absent of for dozens of weeks.

X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X 

Lee's jaw dropped in disgusted curiosity. "A STRIP CLUB!!!" he exclaimed quite loudly in the middle of a crowded street, receiving a few questionable glances from passers by.

Naruto slapped the back of his head. "Shhh! Keep it down will ya?!" he looked around suspiciously. Seeing that few people noticed his friends out burst, he leaned close to Lee's ear. "It's a quiet place not a lot of…civilized towns folk know about." He straightened his posture proudly. "Pervy Sage told me o'this place."

Naruto's words were wasted on Lee as he stared aghast at the sight before him. It looked like a broken down building. Its was all a tan brick except for one raggedy, broken mud colored door that looked like a simple gust of wind would knock it down. It seemed so out of place being in between two productive and well-known shops. _'How could I have missed seeing this building before?' _he thought horrified. But it being so plain and disgusting, it wasn't that much of a surprise he would miss it. A quiet thumping beat could be slightly heard coming from the buildings general direction.

Naruto slapped him in the back, shaking him from his horrified and disturbed thoughts on the appearance and contents of the building. "Come on then! Let's get you some action!" he began to take Lee toward the decrepit door. As Lee's eyes came into focus and his mind down to earth, he noticed that his distance from the door was decreasing.

His eyes widened, "NO!" he yelped and tried to pull free of Naruto's grip but he held fast like he had predicted his reaction. He knew Lee too well. "No!" he repeated. "I don't want to go in there! Its immoral and forbidden, and…and…and its WRONG!!!" noticing his friends undisturbed willingness, he yelled at the op of his lungs, "I DON'T WANT TO GO INTO A STRIP-" he was smothered by Naruto's hand before he could finish his statement.

"What did I tell ya?" Naruto asked as casually as he walked towards the building, gripping a frantic Lee with one hand on the shoulders and one clapped on his mouth. Naruto rolled his eyes as his friend struggled relentlessly. They both seemed oblivious to the crowd of on-lookers, watching the commotion they seemed to be attracting. They both seemed to also miss the pair of vibrant blue eyes that were part of the crowd.

X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X 

A pink hair woman shuffled through a clothing rack of a popular fashion store on a weekend afternoon. Holding up a red fabricated article of clothing up to her face, she failed to notice a group of woman closing in on her before it was too late. Just as she was going to turn, around a pair of arms grasped around her neck, tightening their grip, squeezing the life out of her. "FOREHEAD GIRL!!!" screeched the blonde who seemed oblivious to her victims lack of oxygen. "YOU FINALLY CAME OUT OF YOU'RE HIDY HOLE!!!"

A voice behind her giggled. "Settle down!" she stepped out from behind the attacker; her brown hair tied up a single chocolate colored ponytail. Noticing her reddening face as looked up at the blonde, "Hey Piggy…I don't think she can breathe." She laughed slightly.

As the grip lessened, the blonde stepped in front of the pinked haired woman. Through gasps, Sakura said, "Ino?! What are you trying to do?!" she took in a desperately needed gasp of air. "Kill me?!"

Ino smiled devilishly. With a hard slap on Sakura's back she exclaimed, "Why would I ever do something like that?" Grabbing Sakura by the shoulders, straightening her posture, Ino reached behind her and pulled a startled Hinata from behind a clothing rack. The pale-eyed girls gaze darted around in nervousness. As she saw Sakura under Ino's arm, a timid smile crept upon her mouth. However, it was quickly shaken from her as Ino shouted, "SHOPPING TIME!!!" Her and Tenten squealed as Sakura and Hinata rolled their eyes. Ino leaned close to Sakura and whispered in her ear, "we got some catching up to do!"

Sakura gulped nervously as Ino smiled mischievously down at her friend. As she looked back up at the group, she grinned at them. "Shall we go then?"

X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X 

Ino's eyes traveled up and down the waiter that stood inches away from her. Oblivious to the eyes intently watching him, he continued writing down the order of the group of girls seating at his table. When his attention drifted to that of the flirtatious blonde seated nearest to him, he began to blush under her gaze. "Uh- umm." He stammered, his eyes now on his note pad in front of him. "And- and what would you like to eat……..today." he added quickly.

Ino smiled mischievously. "I'd like to eat you." She said quietly, looking him up and down for the fifth or sixth time in the past ten minutes. Sakura looked at her friend in disbelief. She could hardly comprehend what she just heard her friend say to a complete stranger.

The waiters blush increased as an innocent smile spread across his young face. By looking at him, Sakura could have guessed he was only 16 or 17; the group he was serving being in their very early twenties. Sakura, after her quick observation, rolled her eyes and leisurely crossed her legs, 'accidentally' happened to kick Ino in the shin, drawing her attention away from the reasonably attractive waiter to her now throbbing leg.

Sakura smiled to her self and handed her menu to the waiter, "She'll just have a salad." He smiled timidly as he took the remaining menus from the other girls, quickly glancing back at Ino.

As Ino finished inspecting her sore leg, she shot a dangerous glance at Sakura when she realized her eye candy had disappeared. "What did you do that for?!" she shouted. Tenten, who sat next to her, smacked the back of her head.

"Baka! Yell any louder will ya?" Ino rubbed the back of her head while she pouted. "besides," Tenten said nonchalantly, playing with her fork, "I wasn't going to let you have all the fun with that hotty and not even share him." Ino, now a flustered Ino, glared at Tenten playfully while Hinata blushed and looked at their waiter who was now serving a different table.

Sakura sighed. "you guys can have him." She said reaching for her water. "I think I might already have found someone." Before Sakura could grasp her water glass, Ino slammed her hand down on the top, stopping her from lifting it off the table. Curiously, Sakura looked up at Ino who stared at her seriously. And as she noticed, so did the other girls. "What?" she asked cautiously.

They all simultaneously looked at one another. Tenten was the first to speak. She spoke in such a low voice, Sakura had to strain her ears to hear. "What…what about the whole…Sasuke thing." Sakura leaned back. She had thought about this, but it never really seemed to register with her. Tenten continued, "I mean…you were locked up in your house for months and then you come out all of a sudden." She looked over her shoulder, half expecting someone to be listening in on their conversation. When she was sure no one was there, she added, "what, I guess I should say who, made you come out?"

Sakura shifted uneasily under their unwavering stares. Taking a deep sigh, she looked up at them. _'They deserve to know.' _She convinced herself. _'They'll understand…they're my friends. And if they don't, then that's their problem…not mine.'_ With her mind set, she took a deep breath. "It was Lee." She said bluntly. To her surprise, her friends didn't look as shocked as she would have thought. In fact, they seemed almost satisfied. Ino and Tenten looked at each other. Ino gave an approving nod and Tenten smiled devilishly. Hinata smiled confidently at Sakura.

As they looked back at their old friend, Sakura continued. As began to explain of the night before, telling them every detail she could remember, and every detail she remembered; they all looked at her with a gleeful grin on each one of their faces. The trio listening intently to her said nothing as she went on about telling her story.

As she was nearing the end, speaking of a flower she found in her hair, Ino grew slightly jealous and her eyes glanced now and then to the waiter a few feet away. As Sakura completed her story, Hinata wrapped her arms around her, shocking Sakura by the bold act. As Hinata pulled away, she smiled warmly at her. "I'm so happy for you!"

Sakura patted her on the shoulder as she turned to face the other two. Tenten, smiled at her. "Lee always did love you. Ever since we were 13. I'm glad he never gave up hope on you." Sakura blushed at the thought of such a long determination from him. As she looked at Ino, the mood shifted. Ino looked down at her drink, stirring it with a straw. With out looking at Sakura he blatantly stated. "I don't know if he's so great." As she said it, it caused the other two to look at her in a disapproving curiosity.

"What…what are you talking about?" Hinata stumbled.

Ino looked up to meet Sakura eyes as she continued to mix the ice cubes with the liquid. "well," she began as if she was about to tell a long story. "just before noon today…I saw your little 'Hunny' strolling into a filthy, dirty, little strip club."

X0X0X0X0X0X0X0X 

Lee continued to struggle relentlessly against Naruto iron grip. Yet to no avail, he still managed to enter the strip joint. After entering the ragged old door a few feet away, a tall, rough looking man allowed them to enter. The beat he heard from out side now nearly deafened his ears. He would have covered them but Naruto still had his hands in a death grip.

They continued to walk for a bit. As they passed down a long corridor there were multiple rooms splitting off. Most of the doors were closed, but the ones that were open Lee could see a run way with half nude women groping metal poles that, oddly to Lee, seemed to cause them pain for he thought they made the strangest of noises. But the strangest thing Lee saw, were the people watching. There seemed to be an odd odor in the building. It smelled of some of the most elegant perfumes from across the globe, but then mixed with a musty sweat; along with a few other foul odors he hadn't smelt before, and never wanted to again. The farther down the corridor they went, the fancier and wild; not to mention more elegant and beautiful; the rooms looked as well as the dancers. Lee drew his eyes away from the endless array of doors to look ahead to where they were going. Naruto, noticing his friends lessening struggle, released his hands, and began to guide him to the end of the hall.

Lee began to feel numb from an unknown heat source as well as the smell. It all seemed to relax and exhilarate him at the same time. Naruto led Lee into a room near the end of the hall. As they entered, a loud bang sounded from behind him as the door was shut tight.

Naruto sat down next to Lee with a wide grin plastered on his foxy face. A strange beat came from some unseen speakers that filled his ears with a hypnotizing rhythm. Incense burning on a table next to the wall, filling the room with a mellow aroma. In front of him was a long plateau form leading back behind a pair of violet curtains. Naruto tapped him on the shoulder, getting his attention. "I booked Tanoshimi for tonight, Lee." He glanced up at the stage as the lights began to dim. He quickly leaned back to his friend. "She's the best they got. So enjoy!" he whispered excitedly. Lee, not at all feeling like himself, looked at the stage and for some reason felt an odd exhilaration. With a flash, the curtain flew open, revealing a pale, woman. Her hair flowed down her body to end near the back of her knees. She wore a black, shiny material that seemed to only cover the parts she got paid to be seen. She strutted toward the pole at the end of the runway, keeping eye contact with her visual prisoners. But it wasn't her hair or her body that caught Lee's attention, it was her expression. It was strong and determined, but also seemed to be hiding a pain. It seemed so familiar. Her face almost looked like- "Sakura!" Lee shouted as he jumped out of his chair.

Naruto almost fell off his chair as he friend nearly knocked him out with one of his flailing arms. Tanoshimi looked at her two disgruntled guests with and irritated curiosity in her eyes. Lee, coming back to reality, looked around at where he was as if he had seen it for the first time. Despite the fact that it was the first time he had seen it, it was the first time he noticed what it was that he was looking at. 

"Naruto!" he shouted down at his friend who managed to fall off his chair without the help of Lee. He reached out and grabbed the unwilling Naruto to his feet and stormed to the door, kicking it open, he stumbled down the hall, occasionally walking into wall. _'Stupid place,' _he muttered to himself. _'they just had to put drugs in the incense. And worse is that it took me this long to figure it out.' _

It was now Lee's turn to drag his friend around, thinking he knew what was best for him. Naruto, still suffering from breathing in the sense, struggled half-heartedly as he was pulled from his second favorite place. 

As they neared the exit, Lee began to walk fast, craving the outdoor, real light, real air, and real emotions. 

The bouncer stepped aside, not wanting to get in the way of an upset Lee. Lee kicked the second door open to be shot back by a blinding light known as the sun. He had nearly forgot how bright it actually was. 

Naruto groaned next to him, covering his eyes with his arm. As the drug effect started to ware off, Naruto began to look around. As he registered that they were no longer in the strip club he looked down at Lee who now sat on the ground in the middle of a road. Naruto kicked Lee on the leg. "Why'd ya do that?!" not entirely aggravated, he unwillingly sat down next to Lee. Lee ignored his kick and shifted on the earth. 

"Gashi, Naruto-kun." He said apologetically, looking down at an insignificant pebble at his feet. "That isn't what I needed." With his statement, Naruto looked at him questionably. 

Lee looked up at him and smiled sadly. "I don't want a woman who wants me for what they see." He spoke honestly. "I want someone who cares for something deeper than that. I believe that person would be Sakura." When Naruto said nothing, he looked back down. 

After a moment or two of silence, Lee was shaken back to earth when Naruto slapped him on the back. Lee looked at him curiously. Naruto smiled at him confidently. "What?" Lee asked nervously.

"I do believe I have just the thing to help you!"


	3. Message From Author

**Greetings!!!** to all of my little reader minions! I want to thank all of you reading so far. Hope my story entertained you! But I must tell you that I wont be updating for a while seeing as I am currently working on a Naruto Character Theme Video. It will take a while to do seeing as my computer is a piece of crap and the program I'm using will eventually make it explode. Don't worry. In my spare time I am working on my story and I will update as soon as I can. Love you all!


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